Snapshots
by monarules
Summary: A collection of drabbles inspired by a series of tumblr prompts.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Madam Secretary. I did use Elizabeth's message from "The Greater Good."

"Hey baby. It's me. Just checking in again. I left you a message. Call me, please? I love you. I love you."

Her voice is softer than usual, like she's trying to hold it together. But despite that, he doesn't call until he hears the news.

"Terror attack in Geneva." His hand is reaching for his phone, his breath coming too fast as his heart slows when he hears, "Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord is dead."

Scrambling with the phone, he dials her familiar number. No answer. Not even a voicemail. She's gone. And all he's left with is a message of his wife begging him to call her. And a broken heart.

The first night without her, he's not sure who cries more, him or their kids. They're broken too with a shocking clarity of missing their mother and trying to be strong for him.

He's still wiping his eyes. Their Noodle was hard to get to sleep, and he'd had to sit at the edge of her bed holding her hand until her breathing finally evened out.

Their bed looms. He's never been afraid of a piece of furniture before. But now, he's terrified.

He tries to imagine that she's just at the State Department, but that just makes it worse because he keeps thinking that she'll walk through the door.

Finally, his own breath evens out, exhaustion claiming him.

He jolts awake like he's forgotten something. And there she is. Beside him. Curled in a ball on her side as usual. Not trusting his eyes or his brain not to trick him, he tries to wrap his arms around her. She's really and truly there. And he's sobbing.

Contrary to popular belief, though Elizabeth McCord is a deep sleeper, when she's awakened in the middle of the night, she's completely awake and ready to go. So when she feels her husband's arms wrap around her and his heaving uneven breaths on her back, she both knows something's very wrong, and already trying to fix it.

First challenge: turning around.

She finally turns around in his arms. He's sobbing, crying so hard that it breaks her heart to listen.

"Henry?"

He glances at her eyes that don't actually see her. That has her helping him to sit up.

"Henry? Baby, you have to breathe. Listen to me," she says calmly.

He continues to sob with his head in his hands.

"Henry? Talk to me. What's wrong?" she leans in closer and she's close enough to hear him mumble, "Not… real…"

"What isn't real?"

"You… you're…not…real" he gasps between hitching breaths.

Her eyes widen slightly as she fully takes in her husband's appearance. His shirt is wet with sweat and clinging to him. His face is red and blotchy. His chest is heaving much much too fast. And his eyes are completely disbelieving that she could be beside him.

"Babe?"

"No! I can't! It hurts too much!"

"Henry. Look. At. Me." She uses her best Secretary of State voice, and it seems to work. At least enough to break his hysteria.

Carefully, she eases herself in between his legs. She pulls his head to her chest and says, "listen."

When he hears the steady beat of her heart, his arms wrap around her, and he cries tears of grief mixed with relief.

Elizabeth holds him there until he falls in a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she wanders into their bathroom and looks at him curiously.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighs… "Geneva." He watches her face as she takes in the full meaning of his word. As expected, she's become guarded. "The hit on Maria Ostrov… it was… for… you… instead" he says haltingly, his fear still too raw. The thought that she could just disappear in thin air.

Her eyes soften, and she comes to wrap her arms around him.

"I'm right here."


	2. Chapter 2

"I know it hurts"

Henry swallowed the bile at the back of his throat as he tried to both block the city's lights from his sensitive eyes and ease the tension that had been forming at his temples all day.

It was this case. VFF and the stolen military weapons would be enough to give anyone a headache. And it had given Henry a massive one. It had persisted through the night despite the Tylenol and ibuprofen he'd thrown at it and had lasted through the day as well. The pressure had continued to build until he was seeing bright colors and the whole world felt like it was tipping on his side. Henry hadn't had a migraine in years, but this was one for the record books.

He'd made it home, thankful for once that his children were either out or asleep. Trudging up the stairs, he tried to block out the fact that even his own steps on the stairs were making his head feel like someone was taking a sledgehammer to it. He just wanted his bed and sleep.

Elizabeth was there waiting for him with a cold, damp rag in one hand and soft pajamas in the other. Without a word, she helped him shed his clothes in the dark room and put the pajamas on.

She guided him to their bed gently and tucked the rag under his chin.

"MMM—- thank..." he tried, wincing.

"Shh... I know it hurts. Rest, Henry" she whispered.

He fell into a deep sleep while she rested in the chair next to the bed, holding his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for the response to this collection!

"It just… hurts."

Henry kept a close eye on his wife. Elizabeth looked pale, drawn, and weary, but she was still bravely covering with the kids.

"Hey, why don't you guys go to bed? Mom isn't going anywhere, ok?"

They reluctantly left her side, and she shot him a grateful look.

"Hey. You ok?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I just... need a shower and sleep."

Something was off about her voice. A little catch that he might not have noticed if he didn't know her so well. Something was up with her, he was sure... other than the obvious. He was aware that they'd stopped in Germany, but she'd called and said that it was standard. Protocol, she'd said.

He followed her up the stairs and found her staring at the shower.

"Babe?"

She jumped and turned, her weak smile turning into a grimace.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently.

"It just... hurts," she said without emotion.

His eyes widened and he wrapped her into a soft embrace.

"Elizabeth? Tell me."

She shook her head against his chest. "I will... but I really need this shower, Henry. Will... will you help me? I can't..."

Grabbing her jacket, he pulled it slowly off her shoulders watching Elizabeth's face for signs of discomfort in her eyes. Her top would be trickier, and removing it would definitely hurt if she were injured in any way.

"How do you want to do this, babe?"

"Right side first."

He reached his hand under her sweater and stretched the material enough for her to slide her arm out of her sleeve. The stark white of the bandage there startled him.

She caught his gaze. "Just a scratch."

He nodded, and pulled the sweater over her head and off her other side in one fluid motion, stopping briefly when she grimaced.

"I can't get them wet."

She unbuttoned her pants herself and turned her back to him.

Another stark white bandage, bigger than the one on her arm, and without her reassuring gaze, Henry felt his calm waning.

"Elizabeth? Why didn't you tell me when you called from Germany?"

Her eyes filled with tears and his whatever it was at being left out of the loop left him entirely.

"I ... I-I could-couldn't."

"Shhh... you don't have to. We can talk later. Where are the extra bandages? Purse?"

On her nod, he left and returned a few minutes later.

Carefully taking her arm, he pulled at the bandage as gently as he could, and his heart broke when he heard her hiss in pain. Her arm was indeed scratched. But it was also dark with bruises. He trailed her arm with his eyes wishing that he could take away the pain.

Turning her around, he tried to be even gentler with her back, but her whimpers let him know that it was going to hurt anyway. 20 stitches marred the left side of her back. And bruises bloomed around the site. Henry's heart broke again. He rested a hand gently on her shoulder to remind himself that she was truly there. Then he left her alone to shower and wash Iran from her body and hair.

He returned when he heard the water stop. Truthfully, he'd spent the last 20 minutes pacing outside the door trying to get the sight of his wife's injuries out of his head. Unfortunately, every time he blinked, there they were.

She was struggling to dry herself when he walked in. He took the towel without a word and dried her off as carefully as he could.

Applying the new bandages was as painful as taking them off, and by the time Henry finally had the one on her back secured, Elizabeth was barely holding herself together. And Henry felt like crying.

He helped her dress in her comfort pajamas, and then he led her to bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

She woke gasping. Fred. Abdol. Screaming. Explosions. Bodies. It was all too much.

"Babe?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep."

Her dream was still too fresh, and her facade crumbled suddenly. It was all just too much. Henry took in his wife's heaving sobs, and he allowed himself to break too.

They clung to each other both reassuring the other that they were still there and needing reassurance.

It was a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

5 and 1  
1  
She was 5. And miserable. Itchy red spots covered her and arms and legs. And everything hurt. And she couldn't even play with her little brother.

"Lizzie, stop scratching, baby."

"But Mama, it itches!"

"I know. Come on. Snuggle with Mama to get your mind off it."

She climbed into her mother's lap, and immediately started playing with her necklace.

"Pretty necklace, Mama."

She stopped scratching.

2  
She was 8.

Her best friend had moved away, and Elizabeth didn't think the tears would ever stop.

"Lizzie? What's the matter, baby?"

She clutched her mother tightly and gasped out the story as best she could.

"Elizabeth, baby, wait here. I need to ask your father something, ok?"

A few minutes later both of her parents returned with a wrapped box.

"We were going to give you this for your birthday, but we think you could use it now."

She unwrapped the box and pulled out a chain identical to her mother's.

Her father clasped it around her neck, and she started playing with it after she hugged her parents.

3  
She was 15.

Her hand fingered her necklace that she never took off, but it offered very little comfort.

Alone. Well, not quite. Will buried his head in her shoulder, and she absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair.

Though playing with the chain only served to remind her that her parents were gone, her fingers never stilled. And it would be a long time before her eyes dried.

4  
She was 22.

She stared at herself in the mirror, her long white dress hugging her figure and trailing behind her.

She hoped her parents could see this. Henry was her other half, and she had a feeling that they'd approve as long as she were happy. She grasped the chain around her neck briefly and let it go.

5  
She was 33 and completely exhausted. Her son lay in her husband's arms, just a few hours old. He'd come into the world screaming, and she just knew he'd cause trouble.

Henry put baby Jason in her arms and pulled a small package from his pocket.

"What's that?"

He handed it to her and took an already fussy Jason back into his arms. A daddy's boy, already.

She opened it and saw all 3 of her babies' initials on a small flat pendant.

"For your chain."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she fingered the chain at her neck and wished for the millionth time that her parents could have met her children.  
"Help me put it on?"

+1  
She was 46. Her fingers alternated between dancing wildly with the chain and grasping the pendant firmly.

Abdol. Screaming. Fred.

And her fingers kept pulling lightly at the chain at her throat. She found no comfort.

Abdol still screamed. And Fred still landed on top of her. And Zahed still died. And the explosions still rang out.

She sighed and turned on Jason's game. Comfort could not be found in her necklace, this time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: Henry stays up late in bed working, and Elizabeth falls asleep on his shoulder.**

Henry was dying. Okay, so not really, but buried as he was under a mountain of papers from religious amateurs, it felt like it.

He'd set up base on their bed, so he could at least have his brain tormented while his body was comfortable. How did this student get to Georgetown without knowing what a paragraph was?

Elizabeth smiled at the sight.

"Up for company?"

"Always."

She sat next to him, with her head on his shoulder. He felt her yawn.

"Babe, why don't you go to sleep? I'm going to be up for a while."

"I'm... awake."

A few minutes later, he was deep in thought at an interesting point about Augustine raised by a student when he realized that Elizabeth's breathing was deep and even against him.

He smiled and lightly pressed a kiss to her hair.

Back to grading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Prompt:** **Henry has been waiting all day to hug his wife.**

Elizabeth had been working for 2 days straight. She hadn't even been home. Instead she'd sent Blake to their house to pick up clothes for her. It wasn't the longest she'd been away. It went with the perils of being Secretary of State. She'd called, and ordinarily that would keep the loneliness of missing her at bay.

But Henry wanted a hug. He wanted to hold his wife's body close to him and nuzzle her hair. And if that led to other things… well…

He shook himself out of his reverie and begrudgingly got dressed. He had exams to proctor.

7 hours and 4 exams later, he was equally bored and desperate for his wife.

He dealt with their children in much the same autopilot mode and only came fully aware when the door opened after the kids had gone to sleep.

"Anybody home?"

Henry walked with determination and met her near the door.

"Hey you. I'm so tired." Elizabeth laughed, and Henry stood back a moment to just drink in the sight of her.

He gripped her by the hip, sliding his hand along her back, pulling her close. His other hand cradled her shoulders, and he dug his fingers into her back, squeezing tightly.

"Henry," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I just needed a hug…from you."

She melted further into his embrace. Maybe she wasn't that tired after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Prompt: Henry puts his life in Elizabeth's hands.**

The motorcade pulled up to the familiar house, and Henry squeezed Elizabeth's hand before getting out.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Henry turned to face the strange man when he grabbed him from behind and held a gun to his temple.

"Stay back, or he dies! I want to talk to Secretary McCord."

"Ma'am, you shouldn't!"

Elizabeth slid across the backseat and against the chaos of every DS agent's orders, called "Stand down!" before stepping onto the pavement.

"What do you want?"

"Please, ma'am! My daughter was kidnapped by ISIS! They won't give her back! You have to help me!"

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, "we don't negotiate with terrorists" on her tongue before glancing at Henry. His hazel eyes were wide and understanding, his love for her palpable.

He was giving her the consent she needed, putting his life in her hands.

He watched her struggle under the weight of such a problem and wished more than anything that he could help her make this decision.

She bit her lip, and that's when he knew that he had to be ready. She'd made up her mind. For now, though, he wanted her to know what the only thing that mattered to him in the whole world was her and their children.

"OK."

"What?" asked the gunman, clearly surprised for this to be this easy.

"I said OK. We'll help you. Now, will you let him go?"

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

She stepped closer to them and pulled her gaze from her husband's eyes to look at the gunman directly.

"I give you my word. Now, will you let him go?"

He released Henry with a shove and Elizabeth caught him before he hit the pavement while the DS agents were tackling the question.

"Are you okay?" they asked at the same time.

"Yes."

"No."

Henry pulled away to look at her. Her eyes were always the giveaway. They were pain-filled and looked ready to break.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but you almost were. Henry... I couldn't ... You..."

"Hey, I'm fine, Elizabeth. I'm okay."

He pulled her into another embrace to take the sting out of putting her in that position.

"You said you'd help me!" the gunman cried as the DS agents led him away,

Henry pulled her into the safety of their house and whispered "I trust you. Always." in her ear.

"I'm okay, babe." he reassured.

"How did you... You couldn't have known it would..."

"I didn't have to. I know you."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I do not own the dialogue featured in "Connection Lost."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"A little."

Elizabeth sank carefully down on her side of the bed. She'd always hated sleeping without Henry by her side, but with all the trips they'd taken since she'd been Secretary of State, she'd at least gotten used to it. She dropped off easily, her breathing slowly evening out.

The phone startled her awake. "Yes, I'm here! Are you okay?"

"Secretary McCord?"

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry..."

Elizabeth bolted upright, one hand going to her chest and the other trying to stifle the scream lodged in her throat.

Just a dream, Elizabeth. It was just a dream, she thought to calm her rising fear.

It wasn't helping. The panic that had been slowly building in her chest ballooned with sudden ferocity, her gasping breaths became totally ineffective and harsher. Her heart was beating too fast, and explosions started pulsing in her ears with every beat.

"Abdol, stay down!" echoed around the room, and all she could do was watch as Zahed was shot. Was it Zahed? He looked different. It was Henry. It couldn't be. He'd been safe.

Lost as she was in her own panic, she hadn't noticed that she'd scooted over to Henry's side of the bed. His scent, faint though it may have been, calmed her.

Forcing herself to remember that she'd said goodbye to her husband only a few hours ago, she took a few deep even measured breaths. Her panic started to dissipate slowly, her chest finally started to open, and her lungs started to work again.

She looked with dread at the clock. 2 hours? She groaned; maybe she should read another briefing book. She got up and left the bedroom. Tomorrow night, she'd wear one of his shirts.

"How about you?"

"Not much."

Henry squirmed in his seat. Jose and Jane had been asleep for hours, but he couldn't get his mind to relax. They needed this to work. He needed this to work.

Taking a few deep breaths, he urged himself to sleep. And he did.

He found himself staring at Dmitri's brown eyes the very moment on that street in Geneva which was ingrained in his mind. They were concerned, confused, and as ever the case with Dmitri, intelligent. They sensed the betrayal, and it gleamed form his brown irises. But the Russians didn't take just Dmitri. They were shoving Hijriyyah into the back of the van too, her hijab disappearing into the black maw. Now, Alison's dark hair and Stevie's bouncy curls and Jason's sarcastic laugh and Elizabeth's beautiful eyes. Everyone was shoved into the van, and Henry was left all alone. A failure to everyone he'd sworn to keep safe.

He sat up gasping. Just a dream. It was just a dream.

But that thought provided no comfort to his breaking, pounding heart.

Rubbing his hand over his face, he felt his wedding band on his cheek. That ring so intoxicatingly, unequivocally her, helped pull him from the dregs of his nightmare. Her bright blue eyes hadn't been full of tears when they'd said goodbye mere hours ago. She was safe, he reminded himself. They were all safe. Well, almost. He bit back a frustrated sigh at the thought of Dmitri and wished him the peace that Henry couldn't find.

Then he thought of Elizabeth. Her determination and foresight and her sincerity. She'd believed in him. That was why she hadn't been falling to pieces when he'd left. They were two halves of the whole, and they trusted each other. He made a vow in every language he knew: he'd come back to her. He'd hold her and love her, and he'd never let her go.

And he also thought it best to sleep while touching his ring, the reminder of her and her love until he got back.


	9. Chapter 9

Sick:

When Elizabeth awoke, something felt… off. Her stomach was rolling, and she was so cold. She was about to wake Henry to tell him that she thought she was sick, when a pain so intense she had to verbalize it struck on her right side. She groaned, loudly, waking Henry.

"Elizabeth?"

She rolled onto her side, groaning.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"Hurts!"

Henry felt his wife's forehead, and then ran to the other side of the bed and lifted her easily.

"Henry!"

"I've got you, babe. You need to go to the hospital."

He rushed them out of their room and somehow made it down the stairs and to the door where DS Agents always stood.

"Dr. McCord?"

"She needs a hospital. Now."

"Put her in the van. We'll take her ourselves."

Henry slid Elizabeth in the back of the van carefully with the help of a couple of DS Agents.

"Henry! Don't … leave…" she groaned into the fabric of the backseat.

"I'm not, sweetheart. I'm here. Everything's going to be fine."

Looking at his wife's writing form though, he started to doubt that he'd been telling her the truth.

"Henry. Let me up. Now."

Stunned by her tone, Henry helped her sit up and barely had time to move his shoes out of the way as his wife retched violently. He held her hair out of the way and rubbed her back.

"Elizabeth?"

She was crying, holding her stomach, and covered bile desperate for the pain to stop. It broke his heart.

Pulling into the hospital emergency room with the Secretary of State had its perks. At the very least because her health had been deemed a matter of National Security, and they got to go right back to see the doctor.

Henry spared a quick thought to everyone watching them walk passed and wished them luck.

"Madam Secretary? I'm going to run a quick test, just to confirm my suspicions."

Elizabeth started at Henry with glassy eyes, ignoring the doctor completely.

"What kind of test?"

"A simple CAT scan."

"Can I go back with her?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you Doctor."

The CAT scan was anything but simple as Elizabeth had to be still for the test, and she couldn't help writhing in pain.

Somehow they'd managed to keep her still enough to confirm that she had appendicitis.

"Madam Secretary, we need to operate immediately. You're in good hands."

Henry squeezed Elizabeth's shoulder. "I'll be here when you wake up, sweetheart."

Elizabeth was rushed to the operating room leaving Henry jittery and shaky and exhausted as the adrenaline left him.

His phone rang. The kids. Sighing, he answered.

"Dad! What's wrong?"

"What happened to Mom?

"Is she okay?"

"Guys, calm down. Mom will be just fine. She has appendicitis. They're taking it out now."

"Nerds, let me talk to Dad."

"Dad, do you want me to wait with you?"

"Stevie, your mom will be fine. I promise. Right now, I want you to stay with Ali and Jason, ok?"

Henry ended the call and plopped shakily into a nearby chair. He'd just started to calm down when Elizabeth's doctor rounded the corner.

"Dr. McCord? The secretary is out of surgery and stable. You can see her when they move her to recovery. Should be 10-15 minutes. A nurse will get you when she's moved."

Longest 15 minutes ever. Still Henry didn't dare relax until he was once again standing next to Elizabeth.

"Babe?"

"MMM… Hen…"

He stayed with her, holding her hand for a few hours stepping out only to call their children.

Tomorrow, the real work would start.

The hospital was in for a surprise. Elizabeth McCord was a _terrible_ patient.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Not a prompt, but I always wanted to go into Elizabeth's mind in season 3.

I also want to thank everyone who took the time to review these dribbles. You've put a smile on my face!

Quiet

Elizabeth wasn't a fan of quiet. That sounds strange, but in moments between crises, she wanted some noise.

And she often reasoned that there was a difference between peace and quiet. Peace came when her children smiled at her. Peace was found in her husband's eyes or embrace. Peace was the moment a negotiation came together. Peace was contentment.

Quiet were those moments between heartbeats of panic and adrenaline. Quiet the buildup to war. Quiet was the moments when her children were hurt or angry because of something she did. Quiet was found when Henry was anything but happy and healthy and there.

So when she found moments of peace in the State Department, she relished them. And she dealt with the times of quiet as best she could.

She was in her motorcade, about to head home for the day enjoying a bit of peace when a moment of unavoidable quiet struck.

Her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Is this Elizabeth McCord?"

"This is she. May I ask who's calling?"

"I'm calling from George Washington Hospital. I'm afraid that your husband is here. He's stable, but he'll need to stay a couple of nights. He's asking for you."

There was a beat of quiet before Elizabeth could respond. A beat of terrifying quiet that threatened to seal up every ounce of noise and peace that she'd ever experienced.

"Thank you. I'll be right there."

To keep her mind off the quiet that was threatening to overtake her completely, she called Henry's partner at DIA. She was filled in on the bad meet and the... injuries.

She thanked Mo and hung up her phone. They were 15 minutes away from the hospital. And quiet overtook her. Quiet Christmases with no family, quiet arguments with Henry over the CIA. Quiet moments where she was left feeling insecure and frightened. Quiet moments where peace seemed alien, quiet dorms and silent halls. Quiet moments of worry that snatched at her throat making it hard to breathe or swallow. Quiet moments of adrenaline laden exhaustion forcing her down to the hell of nightmares. Quiet moments where her family were threatened. Quiet moments of hellish worry.

Finally reaching Henry's room, she was nearly sprinting to get to him in a hurry. "Hey babe!" he'd said, and his smile lifted some of the quiet.

Their minor argument ensued bringing with it a sense of normality, and a place of safety in the quiet. The quiet stayed even when she figured out that they were looking for the same supplier. The quiet stayed even when she was at the White House. The quiet stayed when she called her children and fed them the cover story. The quiet stayed to the point that even her own heartbeat felt loud. Her own breathing too obvious in the state of quiet she was wrapped in.

Her phone vibrated in her hand. A text from Henry. "They're discharging me in the morning. Go home, babe. Get some sleep. Then come rescue me in the morning!"

She grinned at his message, his thoughtfulness spreading a thin layer of contentment over her like a blanket.

She stood watching her children. They'd fallen asleep in the living room, piled on one couch, tangled in a sleepy mass.

She smiled at the sight before pulling out her phone. Jason was tucked under Stevie's arm and cuddling Alison's leg, and there was no way that Elizabeth could let that moment of blackmail go. This moment of peace she treasured. Her Henry would be home tomorrow. Her children were safe and sound asleep. She took a deep breath and exhaled pure peace.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This is not a prompt, but a tag to "French Revolution."

Tag French Revolution

Elizabeth shuddered. Hearing Ron Janeway list the ways that Julius Burton planned to not only dictate foreign policy but also scare her children and vandalize her office and invade their privacy was chilling. Henry held her close, but hearing the plans from someone made her hurt and paranoid.

"We should talk to Conrad. He has to know, babe," Henry was saying.

She nodded, but she did not want to be the one to tell Russell about this. Still, she knew Henry was right and called Russell.

In the Oval Office, Russell and Conrad were dumbfounded as she laid out the evidence, and they listened to Janeway's confession. Elizabeth and Henry stood side by side waiting for their decision.

"We are NOT letting this son of a bitch get away with this, Bess."

Elizabeth, Henry and Conrad looked at Russell with open mouthed shock.

Henry recovered first, grinning. "Then let's make him pay."

They dressed in near silence. Since returning home to what should have been their safe space and what had been mercilessly invaded for something as senseless as politics, the longer they stayed there, the angrier and more paranoid they got.

Walking alone the White House halls, Elizabeth took Henry's hand and tried to get a handle on her anger.

They found Burton outside Dalton's office and gave him just enough rope to hang himself.

Henry found himself squeezing Elizabeth's hand so hard that it had to have hurt, but she was squeezing back just as hard.

They were both using each other as a grounding technique so they wouldn't let anything show on their faces.

"Mrs. McCord…"

Henry took a half step forward, and Elizabeth squeezed a warning.

The Attorney General led Burton away. The op was done, their mark arrested, but Henry still held Elizabeth's hand.

"Let's go home."


	12. Chapter 12

**Prompt:** **After a close shave, it's time for Henry & Elizabeth to sit down and draw up their wills, and really talk about what they want for a funeral/burial.**

AND

 **Elizabeth asks Henry to make her promise.**

Daisy sat gripping her hand, hard. Elizabeth might have complained if she hadn't been squeezing the younger woman's hand just as tightly. The plane was going down, and it was going to be Marsh all over again. Without the intrigue. The engine cut out completely, and all was silent.

They hurtled toward the ground with the speed of a bomb, but just at the final moments, the engines cut back on suddenly, and they landed safely.

Her phone rang. "Are you okay?"

A beat. A quick glance at Daisy. "Has it hit the news yet?"

A shake of the head. "No, ma'am. I've spoken to the gaggle. They just want to go home."

"Henry, I'm fine. Why?"

"I just had to hear it from you. I had an awful feeling a few minutes ago. I just..."

"I'm fine. Really. But we do need to have a conversation when I get home. Okay?"

"Anything wrong?"

"No, not really. I'm just... I'll explain later, okay?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

At home, her walls came crumbling down as she watched her children laugh and argue. As she watched her husband tend to them and fix breakfast. She could've missed this. And they wouldn't have known. She wiped her eyes, but not before Henry noticed, of course.

The kids left, passing her by with a quick hug and out the door. The dam broke. The tears fell, and all of a sudden Henry was in front of her. "Babe? What happened?"

The story told in gasps made its way to Henry's ears and broke his heart. He wouldn't... He couldn't... She'd never... How could he have gone on without her?

He wrapped his arms around her, and drew soothing circles on her back, smelling her hair, reassuring himself that she was still right there in front of him.

She calmed down after a while, but her eyes were still glassy and her face still splotchy. "We have something we need to discuss."

Henry led her into the office and settled down in the chair while she sat on her desk.

"Okay."

"Our wills and funerals."

Henry grimaced, but one look at the earnest determination in his wife's eyes, and he knew he'd lose this fight.

They spent hours planning every detail and writing down every last wish, but it did little to soothe Elizabeth's fears. She was terrified, and she knew why, but it didn't make any sense. She was fine. She was safe. She was home. And Henry was fine. And safe. And home.

She sniffled, tears resuming their course down her cheeks. Henry in front of her gripping her arms. "Babe?"

Suddenly she looked up. "I want you to promise me something. Okay?"

"What is it?"

"I want to go first."

Henry blanched, and she saw the color drain out of him slowly. "What?" he asked with a voice that held no air.

"I can't... Henry... I just can't live without you. Don't make me."

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. But I can't make that promise. I can't... I can't live without you either."

"Then we have a problem."

Henry placed an arm on her shoulder.

"Together?"

She looked up at him with a grin on her face. "Together."


	13. Chapter 13

**Prompt: Henry and Elizabeth leave each other hand written notes when they have something important to say, but they're worried that a face-to-face conversation would devolve into an argument.**

Elizabeth held her breath as she set pen to paper. Writing down her feelings had come in handy after her parents died. She didn't trust anyone with them, and bottling them up had hurt so so much. Writing them down though... that was the best release she'd ever felt.

She didn't know what this was that she was writing. It was addressed to Henry, not that he'd ever read it... He might never speak to her again... They'd had an awful argument about politics of all things. And they'd both said things that had hurt.

A tear found its way down her cheek to mar the paper and ink. Great... She ended the letter and left the room, leaving the paper out...

Henry found the paper a few minutes later. He'd largely calmed down, and he had come back to speak to Elizabeth, but she wasn't to be found. He hadn't meant to read the note she'd left, but it was addressed to him.

"Dear Henry...

I don't even know why I'm writing this. I doubt I'll ever let you see it... If you come back, that is. I just... I have to write this. First, I'm sorry about what I said. It was wrong. I just wish we had been able to calm down and talk. I love you, Henry. Oh God, I hope you come back.

Love Elizabeth"

The insecurity hit him like a freight train. His Elizabeth was cool and confident and this broke his heart.

"Henry..."

He jumped, caught. He looked back at her and wrapped her in his arms carefully, muttering apologies as he went. They stayed that way for a long time.

* * *

They got into a little pattern after that. Any time they got into an argument that really cut... anytime they got into an argument where they both had gone too far... anytime they got into a fight they thought might dissolve into another argument or petty name calling, they wrote down their feelings and left them around the house.

* * *

Elizabeth sighed, her pen hovering in midair. Finally, she pressed it to paper with tears stinging her eyes. It shouldn't be this hard to write her feelings. He should understand! She took a shaky breath and let the words and feeling flow from her pen.

Henry came into the kitchen after his family had left and found a paper waiting for him on the counter with Elizabeth's neat handwriting.

"Henry,

Why did you have to go back into that building? Why do you want to go back to DIA? Why do you have to keep throwing yourself into harm's way?! I guess that's not fair. But I want you to read something. It explains my thoughts better than I could, and it's from someone you trust. I love you, Henry, and I will support you in whatever you decide to do. But I refuse to lose you too.

Love, Elizabeth"

Henry flipped the page and found his own slanted handwriting facing him.

"Elizabeth,

Why Iran? Do you know how worried I was about you? Do you know that I counted the minutes until you were found, safe? You're asleep right now, resting. If you can call it that. I know you're okay. You're next to me, safe. But I can't turn off my mind. I can't focus on anything. You almost weren't okay. What would I have told the kids? What would I have done? Darling, I love you dearly and I know you did the right thing. But I was right to pull the husband card. I refuse to lose you.

Love, Henry"

Henry pulled himself away from his own words and allowed their meaning to wash over him. She was as worried as he had been. That wasn't much of a shock. Two halves of the whole, his mother had called them. He made a silent vow; he'd work with DIA, but he wouldn't throw himself in harm's way again... if he could help it.

* * *

After Conrad and Russell had left and the house was quiet, Henry pulled Elizabeth in an embrace, careful of his hands. "I know you're worried, babe. But I promise you that I will be careful. You don't have to worry about me. Promise."

Elizabeth sighed. "I always worry about you, Henry, but I take your point."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: This is a double prompt that I thought fit together. The second prompt takes place a few months after the first, and I borrowed one of Henry's lines in "Just Another Normal Day." Also, I guessed at how old Henry and Tommy would have been at the time of the incident on the ice.

 **Prompts: Elizabeth is furious at herself for crying. AND** **The first time Henry cries in Elizabeth's arms.**

Elizabeth woke slowly wondering what woke her up in the first place. Then a drop of water slid across her cheek and hit her pillow. She'd been crying in her sleep. Groaning, she checked the calendar Henry's mother kept on the bedside table in this guest room… of course. October 10th. She wiped away her tears, determined to join in the fun with the McCords today.

Henry was watching Elizabeth carefully. His girlfriend was obviously upset and trying so hard to hide it. He was about her walk up to her and try to make her laugh when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His mother.

"Henry? Let me talk to her first okay?"

He nodded and watched as one of the most important women in his life consoled the other one.

Elizabeth was lost. October 10th in her room. Studying math. Waiting for strawberry ice cream. Getting worried. A knock at the door. Will's tearstained face.

Someone touched her shoulder, and she jumped. Henry's mother.

"Elizabeth, honey? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. McCord."

Mrs. McCord reached up and brushed some of Elizabeth's hair away from her face. "Why don't you and Henry go for a walk?"

Tears stung Elizabeth's eyes at the maternal gesture, but she nodded.

By the time Henry took her hand and was leading her toward a park, Elizabeth was wiping furiously at her eyes.

"Elizabeth? Babe? Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't be crying. I love your family so much, really! It's just… so… stupid! I lost them so long ago. It shouldn't affect me like this still. But they would've loved you! And they never... It's not fair!"

Henry looked into her very hurt eyes for a moment before taking her into his arms.

"Grief doesn't have a time limit. I'm here. Go ahead."

* * *

Henry sat up with a groan. April 11th. Tommy's birthday. At first, he felt a flash of annoyance at himself that he was still this affected by Tommy's birthday as much as he was all these years later, but he decided to make the day a good one. Tommy wouldn't want him to be sad. Instead, he'd go to class, and then he'd see Elizabeth.

Classes were the usual with Henry being only mildly affected by the concept of death that his professor had chosen to discuss. He considered that a triumph.

But by the time 5 rolled around, he'd been as tired and weak as a kitten. Holding the grief back even after these 7 long years on this day was like trying to hold back a tidal wave.

He settled down on his bed to wait for Elizabeth. She found him like that half an hour later.

"Henry? You ok?"

He looked up at her beautiful face and caring eyes, and there was just something about her that made his dam break.

Tears started pouring down his cheeks, and he tried to wipe them away in embarrassment. But he felt a hand on his. Elizabeth pulled his hands away from his face and crawled behind him on the bed, holding him from behind.

"Hey… what's wrong?" she asked gently pressing a light kiss to his temple.

He told the story… the ice… Tommy. His face disappearing beneath the surface. His birthday.

"I just feel stupid. It's been 7 years."

"Someone once told me that there's no time limit on grief. Now, let go."

With her reassurance, he sobbed with abandon in her arms. For his friend. For his birthday. For the time that he could have had with him. For the time lost to them as friends forever.

When he finally cried himself out, he turned to her and wrapped her in a gentle but firm embrace.

"Thank you" he mumbled into her hair.

"Of course."


	15. Chapter 15

**Prompt** : **'Mother's intuition' was all that Elizabeth needed to say to get Henry's attention - this isn't the first time Elizabeth's had it, and she's always been right.**

The first time it happened, Stevie was 3 years old. The house was silent and Henry was marveling at the peace that could be achieved with giving a toddler a small piece of candy, though he was sure that he'd be regretting it when he sugar high kicked in. Elizabeth was lying on the couch with her head in his lap, both of them with books in their hands. It was a good night. He sighed. Then Elizabeth sat up suddenly knocking both books to the floor.

"Something's wrong." She said before scampering to their daughter's bedroom. Henry shook his head this wife's paranoia, but a harsh cough sounding from Stevie's room sent him running.

By the time he got there, Stevie was crying in his wife's arms, the half-eaten piece of candy on the floor. He knelt by his two favorite girls and placed a hand on his daughter's back.

"Is she ok?"

"Yeah. She's fine, aren't you big girl?" Elizabeth soothed. He looked toward his wife's eyes and found only relief.

* * *

The second time, Alison was 7. She'd come home from school with overly bright eyes and a tremulous smile on her face. "I'm fine," she'd answered when Henry asked, and he'd left it alone. But the second Elizabeth saw her daughter, she said, "Noodle? Who's bothering you at school?"

As it happened, there was a new girl in Ali's school who was upset about a mix up after school at the pickup line. "I don't know why she's being so mean to me! She used to be nice! But she said *sniff* that you and Daddy didn't *sniff* want me!" With that, she launched herself into her mother's arms. "Baby... shhh... you're okay. And Noodle? Look at me." Ali lifted her face reluctantly.

"Your father and I want you. We love you to the moon and back. OK?"

* * *

The third time, Jason was 5. All was quiet in the McCord house. Parents and all 3 children snuggled up in bed. Until Elizabeth woke Henry from a sound sleep. "Did you hear that? Something's wrong. Check on the girls and I'll check Jason." As Henry's still sleep numbed brain struggled to catch up and actually check on his girls, Elizabeth all but sprinted to Jason's room.

She opened the door to find him peacefully asleep on his back, and she was about to turn and check the girls herself when her little boy started making a weird choking noise.

She rushed into the room and sat him up in bed where he promptly woke up and threw up all over her.

* * *

"Call it mother's intuition."

Alarm bells started ringing in Henry's ears. She was always right about that. He started running out the door. "Have your motorcade pick me up. Let's go get our daughter."


	16. Chapter 16

**Not a prompt. 3x16 "Break in Diplomacy" tag. Sort of.**

Elizabeth stood at the podium, gripping it ever so slightly to keep herself upright in the face of all the flashes and questions. Her heart was pounding way too fast, but her speech never faltered.

Finally, she'd done it. She'd called out Andrada for being the abuser he was. And she was glad for the most part. Digging it all back up and having to deal with those emotions again, reliving it had not been fun. But the questions had been worse. Mainly because they'd all been questions that she'd been asking herself at the time.

She shook herself out of her reverie and headed to her motorcade.

She and Henry had decided to fill the kids in before the press conference. Ali and Stevie had hugged her fiercely before promising her that they would not watch the press conference. Jason, on the other hand, was in his freshman year of college and had been unreachable. She hoped that he didn't see that. She thought she'd handled it pretty well, but she also didn't want her children to witness the questions. Questions to her morality or the sexualization that was bound to happen.

Henry met her in the hall with a hug.

"You okay babe?"

She nodded. "Just tired."

She started to head up the stairs when she heard "Mom!"

Jason waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and her heart felt like it was breaking right there.

She walked back down the stairs to meet him. She still hated the fact that she now had to look up at her baby to catch his eyes.

"Jace?"

Instead of answering her, he placed his arms around her gently but firmly hanging onto her. Clinging to her with all he had.

She expected him to say something along the lines of the same things his sisters had said when they'd been told. "I'm sorry" or something.

Instead, she met Henry's eyes over her son's shoulder with tears stinging her eyes as he whispered in her ear.

"I'm proud of you."


	17. Chapter 17

**Prompt: Elizabeth is holding one of her babies in her arms and can't get them to stop crying, because Baby McCord senses that she is sad or upset.**

Elizabeth glanced over for the thousandth time at the baby in the plastic bassinette at her side. Her baby! How could she and Henry possibly have created something that perfect? Speaking of Henry, he fell asleep in one of the chairs in the room, steadfastly denying the chance that he could ever take his eyes off baby Stephanie ("How could I sleep? Look at her! She's perfect, and she's ours!" he'd told her as she'd giggled). Glancing at her daughter (her daughter!), Elizabeth agreed. She was perfect. And more than likely hungry by now.

She gently eased the baby out of the bassinette, careful not to wake either her new baby or her husband who was surely exhausted, cuddling her daughter close to her chest, marveling at her tiny fingers and toes. Oh how her mother…. She stopped the thought in its tracks. The other chair in the room was empty as she expected. Her mother wasn't there. And that broke Elizabeth's heart.

Baby Stephanie started to cry, fussy and apparently needing her mother to pay attention to her rather than to memories and heartache, but as Elizabeth turned her attention to her, she started to cry in earnest. And so did Elizabeth.

"Please baby. I don't know what you want!" she mumbled through choked sobs as she cuddled the baby close and tried to console her.

The cries worsened, both of theirs. Suddenly Henry was there and gently taking their daughter from her. If anything her cries doubled, while Stephanie's lessened. Stephanie eased into the sleep of newborns in her father's arms before he placed her back into a warm bassinette.

Elizabeth was still crying in earnest.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"She doesn't like me."

"You know that's not true. She adores you. Now, what's wrong?"

"She… she… she should be here! It's not fair! Henry, my mother should be here!"

Henry carefully eased himself into her bed next to her and took her into a soft embrace. "Babe… shh… Let go, babe. I'm here." He kept murmuring comforting nonsense into her ear until she finally calmed down enough to talk.

"You're sure she likes me?" she asked after a while of being held in her husband's arms.

Henry could have laughed except Elizabeth's eyes were serious. "I'm sure. We both love you."


	18. Chapter 18

**Not a prompt. An episode tag to wrap up Maureen's weirdness from last night. Apologies for OoC-ness.**

Elizabeth took a deep breath in the doorway of her home. Just because this situation in Myanmar was as frustrating as it was disgusting didn't meant she could take it out on her family.

Steeling herself to face Maureen, she stepped through to the kitchen where she saw fewer McCords than she was expecting. Henry was leaning against the island, obviously waiting for her if the two glasses of wine were anything to go by.

"Hey… Where's…"

"She said that she was hungry out of the blue."

"Is she sick?"

"She seems… I don't know… off."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"Babe, I don't know what to say. I'm at a loss here."

Elizabeth was struck suddenly that Henry wasn't used to letting his sister lean on him. Maureen was the older sister! She was the one who bossed everyone around. Henry's hazel eyes were lost and scared. Scared in a way that she hadn't seen before. Something was wrong with his big sister, and he needed someone else to make it better.

"I'll try, but you know that she probably won't talk to me."

She downed the glass of wine, kissed her husband on the cheek, and trudged up the stairs.

The guest room door was left open, and Elizabeth stood in front of it awkwardly. There was something about her sister-in-law that made her feel like she was Elizabeth Adams and needed to make a good impression all over again. She hated that. Pushing the feeling aside, she tiptoed through the doorway.

Maureen was sitting on the bed, facing the window on the other side of the room. Her shoulders shook gently. She sniffed loudly, then jumped, glancing quickly to either side.

"Maureen? Are you… okay?"

Maureen jumped up, swiping her eyes as she turned to face Elizabeth. "Just fine, Elizabeth. Good of you to make it this time."

Elizabeth ignored the slight and looked at the woman in front of her in the eyes. There was something there… something just out of her reach.

"No you're not."

Something in Elizabeth's assertion that something was wrong must have set Maureen off, and she crumbled, humiliatingly, in front of her. Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what to do, but being the big sister she was and the mother of McCord women, she did what felt natural… Even if that was wrapping her sister-in-law in a hug.

"I sinned." Maureen sobbed in Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Tell me what happened."

"I can't! I was so unhappy! I sinned! I can't…"

"Maureen?"

Henry's voice came from the doorway, startling both women, and Elizabeth let Maureen go to him before leaving the room.

* * *

An hour later, he came back to the kitchen, Elizabeth sitting on the island, waiting for him.

"She okay?"

"No… Elizabeth, she cheated on Tom."

Elizabeth nearly fell off the counter. "What? Why?"

He shook his head. "She said that she just wasn't happy. She wouldn't tell me why. She assured me that she's not staying with us much longer though."

Elizabeth waved off the last sentence. "She can stay for however long she needs to! Family first."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: All recognizable dialogue was borrowed from Right of the Boom.

 **Prompt: What if it wasn't Henry who was exposed to radiation by the dirty bomb, but one of the children?**

"I'm sorry." Noura's small voice rang into the crowd, throwing Alison off balance. Now, here was something she could do. She turned into the confusion toward Noura to at the very least smile at the young woman. But Noura was no longer there. She turned to get back to her family when the bomb went off.

Henry had Stevie and Jason by the hands and was frantically looking for Alison, his heart in his throat. "Alison!" Henry called and Stevie and Jason echoed.

"I have to call my family! I have to let them know where I am!" Ali tried to fight off the EMTs but they wouldn't hear of it. They just kept repeating radioactive at her and pushing her back on the gurney.

Elizabeth was sitting in her motorcade working her personal phone while Blake was working on her work phone, each trying desperately to get through to people in the crashing network.

"Wait. Stay- stay there. Jason." Blake handed her the phone.

"Jason. Hey baby. How are you?"

"We just went through triage. They're saying the bomb is radioactive."

"Do you feel sick? Do your sisters?"

"No, no we tested negative. Dad got us out in time."

"Listen, baby, I got to go to the White House for a little bit and then I'm gonna get to you as soon as I can, all right? You just…Put Dad on the phone, okay?"

"Mom. Dad, he's um… He's looking for information on Alison. She… She didn't get out."

Elizabeth felt her heart creep into her throat where it promptly shattered. "You tell him to call me as soon as he possibly can, okay, Jase? I love you, baby. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

Elizabeth felt like her heart was beating out of her chest when she finally heard from Henry.

"Henry! How is she? Is she okay?"

"Babe… she… they're still working on her. They won't let me talk to her. They're giving her Prussian blue and all kinds of… Babe… I just… I don't know." The sound of her husband's voice nearly broke her. This was just as hard for him, probably more so if she knew her husband as well as thought. And she did.

"Henry… Conrad said that he'd excuse me. I could come…"

"No. She's still sleeping right now. Your place is with the president, but I will call you when I can, okay?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Henry glanced at his daughter. Her still form in that bed looked far smaller than it should have. He looked at her and saw his sweet child at 2, her eyes filled with tears because Stevie wouldn't let her play with her. Why on earth had she stayed? Why didn't she listen to him? How could he ever forgive himself for leaving her behind for even a second? What would they do if she…. He shook himself. He couldn't… wouldn't entertain that thought. It had no business in his brain. Slowly, he caught up to the doctor.

"Henry?" Elizabeth's voice rang in his ears, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell her. Instead he handed the phone to the doctor.

"Ma'am, your daughter is expressing symptoms of radiation poisoning. Beta burns, nausea, vomiting."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"We won't know for a few hours. We're taking bioassays for estimations. It all depends on the initial exposure. We're administering DTPA and a prophylactic dose of Prussian blue, but the medication is only effective if her exposure was limited."

"What if it wasn't?"

"Then we'll do our best to keep her comfortable, but I'm afraid there is nothing we can do."

The words vibrated in his skull with his heartbeat. "There's nothing we can do." pulsed along in his entire being. He stood by her door with his finger on the button, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk to her. He stood like that until he heard Elizabeth's soft shaky voice behind him.

"Sorry."

He turned and felt his wife crash into him, her head coming to rest perfectly on his shoulder. She wouldn't cry, not with her staff so close by, but the tears weren't far away from her voice.

"Henry… What do we do…?"

He shook his head refusing to let her speak the thought out loud. Their Noodle would be fine. She had to be.

"Mom? Dad?" came the weak voice from the speaker. Their baby girl was awake.

"Hey Noodle. How are you feeling?"

"I don't feel good, Mama."

Stevie and Jason rounded the corner and hugged their parents and spoke to their sister quietly until the doctor came and told them the good news.

"Madam Secretary. Dr. McCord. I have the results of your daughter's bioassay. Alison's exposure was limited to one Sievert of radiation. That's enough for some nasty symptoms, but it's well below a fatal dose. He's gonna be fine."

With that, Elizabeth launched herself at the doctor catching her in a hug of pure relief.

"Babe, let go of the doctor."

The McCord parents walked into the room together and went to each side of the bed where they comforted their daughter as best they could.

Elizabeth had to leave. Of course she did. She just hoped that Ali would either forgive her or that she wouldn't remember it. "That makes me a terrible parent," she thought as she climbed the stairs to her youngest daughter's room.

She found Ali and Henry in deep conversation and smiled, leaning on the doorframe, unnoticed.

"Ali, sweetie, why didn't you…?"

"Dad, I was just trying to do my part. Noura sounded so sad. I just wanted her to know that we were all gonna be okay."

Elizabeth watched as her husband fumbled for words, but they just wouldn't come out of his mouth. "Ali, baby. There won't be a next time, but maybe, get out of danger first, okay? You have to be here to be a good person, okay?" Elizabeth said from the doorway.

"Okay, Mom. I'm so tired."

"Then sleep, Noodle."

They crouched there for a while until she fell asleep, satisfying themselves that she was okay. Then they quietly went to their bedroom. And Henry fell apart.

"I shouldn't have…. Elizabeth!" Henry was sitting on his side of the bed, his head in his hands, his breathing much, much too fast. His wife came to side instantly.

"Breathe, Henry. Breathe. She's okay. She's going to be just fine."

"But…"

"I know. Breathe, Henry."

"I want to rejoin DIA."


	20. Chapter 20

**Prompt: Alison was conceived just a few months after the Ugandan bombing, and Elizabeth still wasn't in a good place.**

Elizabeth stood with her hands bracing herself on the counter in front of her, the positive pregnancy test in front of her. A baby. Another baby. An innocent life for which she shouldn't be responsible. She shouldn't be responsible for it. A baby? After her failure in Uganda? Impossible. It just wasn't possible. It was bad enough that she was responsible for Stevie. Another life? No way.

"Babe?"

Henry appeared in the doorway, a quizzical look on his face that bloomed to a grin on his face when he took in the sight of his wife and the positive pregnancy test. But then he caught Elizabeth's eye, and his smile faltered.

"Elizabeth?"

She stared at him with her mouth opening and closing, but no words leaving her throat. She couldn't speak the disappointment and failure to Henry. She just couldn't. What would happen if she did?

Henry walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands protectively over her stomach.

"Babe? Talk to me, please?"

Elizabeth stared at him in their reflection. She didn't know how she was going to be responsible for another little life. Not with the guilt just eating at her. But she did know that Henry was going to be as good a father to this new baby as he already was with Stevie.

"I just…" she finally started.

Hearing her voice settled something in Henry. He heard the brokenness and the guilt, but it didn't sound like disappointment to him either.

He pulled away from her, gently grabbing her hand as he went. "Come on. Let's go celebrate. You want to go to that new noodle place that opened up?"

Elizabeth nodded. Maybe she could do this. Even if she couldn't, she doubted Henry would let her mess their child up too badly. "Let's go get noodles. And we should tell Stevie too."

Suddenly, Henry's hazel eyes were in front of her. "We're having a baby!"

The weight of the words struck her with clarity. They were having a baby. Laughing slightly, she gave Henry a peck on the cheek. Time for noodles.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: This was inspired by a picture of Tea with brown hair and in this close up, her eyes looked green. Also, we've never seen Elizabeth wear this color. And I really want to see it too!**

 **Prompt: Henry's never seen Elizabeth wear this color before and it just might be his new favorite thing in the entire world.**

It was a little known fact that Elizabeth's eyes changed color slightly based on her outfit. Henry loved that about her. He loved to just stand before her and gaze into her eyes, all the time, yes, but especially right after she was dressed for the day just to see what color they'd be that day. When she wore blue, her eyes and their bright blue hue turned just a bit deeper, and he could swim in them forever. But when she wore green, they took on a hint of green themselves and for some reason, they were lighter. He always got lost in them as surely as if they were forests.

She was in red right now, and her eyes were a brilliant bright blue. But in her pajamas later tonight, they would turn into a calmer hue, closer to her natural color.

Elizabeth loved that he did this with her whenever she wore anything.

Later that night, she fiddled with the neckline of the evening gown the stylist sent over. It wasn't a color she wore often, but there was something about it that had her picking it up.

Henry stood before her speechless. He'd never seen her in this color before, and her eyes! The rich, deep purple made her eyes take on a light violet hue. It was like looking into a sunset just after the rays of the sun went below the horizon.

It took everything he had just to form a coherent thought.

"Wow."

She blushed. The gown emphasized the flush of her cheeks, and Henry thought he'd melt.

"Glad it meets your approval," she whispered in his ear.

He groaned. This event was going to drag on, he just knew.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Not a prompt, but an episode tag to last night's episode. I borrowed Alison's description of Carlos Morejon's face from the episode.**

Henry considered himself a non-violent man. For the most part, he believed that conflict could be resolved by talking rather than with fists. He tried to repeat that in his head as he looked at Carlos Morejon's "very punchable" face as Alison had called it.

He hadn't meant to bump into Morejon. It had happened accidentally. But now that he was face-to-face with this man who was currently on yet another tirade about Elizabeth's politics and her moral character, Henry's mantra faded from existence. All he saw was red.

He let himself feel the rage of someone speaking negatively about his Elizabeth and held it for a breath. Then another. After three breaths, the rage still held, and Henry was still angry, and Morejon was still speaking, and all he could was hit.

The well timed punch landed hard on Morejon's nose, snapping the bone, and as the blood gushed, all Henry could feel was intense satisfaction.

Elizabeth sat up in bed as Henry tossed and turned. But a smile was on his face. Smirking, she laid back down again. It was the third time this week he'd had this dream of punching Morejon in her honor. She settled down beside him and wished for a similar dream herself. As Alison had put it, Morejon did have a very punchable face.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: This is not a prompt, but a what if from Sunday's episode. What if Elizabeth had actually been harmed/shot. I kept her injuries vague on purpose, so I could focus more on Henry.**

Time stopped. Her security detail kept rushing him through endless halls and doctors kept speaking nonsensical words at him. And their children were beside him, looking scared and small. But none of it made any sense to him. Time had stopped because Elizabeth wasn't by his side. Elizabeth was hurt. She'd been hurt before. He understood that. But never before had she allowed a small pain to stop her. This time she had. Time had stopped because Elizabeth had stopped. And because of that, Henry stopped too.

After an endless wait, doctors were urging down yet another hall to Elizabeth's room. Her body lay in the bed, smaller than he thought it should have been. Her eyes closed, her hair trapped between her head and her pillow. Her breathing filled the room, and her heartbeat pulsed reassuringly on the screen.

Henry let out a breath and reached for her hand. Holding her right now was out of the question, but he could grasp her hand at least.

Time stayed in stasis while he was by her side. He drank in her presence, but time didn't restart. They were both frozen.

Elizabeth opened her eyes. "Henry?"

Henry melted.

"Elizabeth."

And time started to move again.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: I kept the political side of this story which would have happened to a minimum. I'm not that great at writing the political side of the show, and I wanted to focus on Elizabeth and her team.

Prompt: After a bombing, Elizabeth assumes that she's fine and keeps going for a long time before realizing that she's losing blood.

Elizabeth was thrown off her feet by the close proximity of the blast. Her ears were ringing and she had to force herself to look around and see what was actually there in front of her instead of what she thought should have been. Abdol wasn't screaming for his father. Fred wasn't on top of her. Instead, her staff, the people she had come to care about so much, were picking themselves slowly off the floor. Blake was muttering something to her? She didn't know, but the sight of them moving and sort of okay made her start moving too.

She started checking herself for injuries when she heard Daisy groan. The younger woman was clutching her head as she rose briefly, then fell again. Elizabeth pulled herself off the floor and went to her press secretary.

"Daisy? Talk to me."

"Ma'am, I - I don't know." She gasped out harshly.

"We're going to get you help, Daisy. For now, deep even breaths. Okay?" Daisy nodded and Elizabeth left a very worried but okay Matt by her side to check on the rest of her staff.

She found Blake standing by his desk staring at his phone.

"Blake?"

He didn't even turn around. She reached around him and called 911 herself. Then she turned to look at her assistant.

"Blake?"

He didn't say anything at all. His eyes held the same shock and fear that Elizabeth saw in Daisy's and Matt's. They'd never experienced this personally, she had to remind herself. It was different with Iran. She gulped and pushed the thought away.

Instead she focused on her assistant who looked like he was around 5 minutes from a full blown panic attack. She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Blake? Deep breaths, okay?"

Blake nodded, and Kat took Elizabeth's place by Blake so she could find Jay. She found her chief of staff huddled in a corner of the staff room, trembling.

"Jay? Are you hurt?"

"Chloe was in Diplotots yesterday. She could've been here."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and helped him up. Her core staff accounted for, she spent the rest of the day helping others who were faced with the trauma of the attack. She didn't even think about herself again until she saw Henry. Henry, who she'd definitely called in the minutes after the attack. Henry, who knew that she was alright, who still sagged with relief at the sight of her.

They met for a brief hug, and Elizabeth allowed some of the comfort that she'd been offering others for hours to seep into her own skin.

"Henry. I'm fine. I promise." She said as he led her into the semi privacy of her office to make sure.

It wasn't until her back met the open air that she realized that she was dizzy. She tried to reach for anything to stabilize herself, her desk, Henry, a chair, anything, but nothing was within her reach. She stumbled and fell. She would've hit the floor, hard, if Henry hadn't caught her.

The next few minutes were a mass of confusion and hurry and a sense of urgency that the State Department was usually very good at, but at the moment, it just felt like someone pouring salt into the open wound of trauma.

Paramedics stood over her, working steadily, while she just tried to keep breathing. Henry stood just out of their way, holding her hand.

"It's okay, sweetheart."

Elizabeth nodded, and lost her battle to stay conscious.

She awoke later in a bed that was not her own, Henry sitting in a chair beside her. A doctor walked in before she could ask Henry what had happened to her.

"Madam Secretary, you lost a lot of blood. It is my understanding that you were not checked over by paramedics when they first arrived, or they would have seen the injury you sustained on your back. We've given you a transfusion, and you have 50 stitches. They'll need to be removed in 3 weeks. Any questions?"

The barrage of information didn't make sense to Elizabeth's muddled brain. This wasn't Iran where she was struck with undeniable terror, the pain of the moment more emotional than physical (panic attacks aside). She should have felt a wound wide enough to require that many stitches. But then she remembered Daisy's face contorted in pain, Blake in shock, Jay trembling at the thought that his daughter could even have been in danger, Matt and Kat both grim and determined to get everyone through it. No wonder she hadn't felt it. She had more important things to do. And now, she had to see her staff and her family. She wondered briefly before her children stormed in and smothered her in hugs and "I love yous" with her staff trailing behind looking a little awkward at the sight, exactly when the line between staff and family had started to blur.

Henry caught her eye and ran a finger over her knuckles. One thing that would never change. He was always by her side.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I never know what first name to give to Henry's mother, so I picked a common one (maybe the show will actually tell us her name so we don't have to keep guessing!) Also, I was unsure exactly how old Stevie was when he returned.**

 **Prompt: Henry's mother knows that he's coming home from his deployment today, but Elizabeth is in the dark.**

Anne stared out the kitchen window. She knew that Henry could handle himself, but... he was her baby! He wasn't supposed to be in danger, and so parental pride for him doing something good and parental worry for him putting himself in danger warred with her and she wasn't quite sure which parental emotion won out. And then there were Elizabeth and Stephanie. Anne sighed. That Stephanie was a firecracker and she was still a newborn! And Elizabeth was handling Henry's deployment, but Anne knew she had to be lonely. Not that she'd ever admit it.

"Anne! Your son's on the phone!" Patrick called from the other room. Anne shook herself. She'd been so deep in thought that she hadn't heard the phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Mom! I'm coming home, Mom!"

She could practically hear Henry's grin over the phone! And relief swept through her, crushing the agonizing worry that had persisted for months!

"Henry! When?"

"Next week."

"Elizabeth must have been so happy when you told her!"

"You're the first to know, Ma. I want to surprise her. Will you help me?"

Together they came up with a scheme that would allow both Anne and Elizabeth to see him first and surprise the socks off Elizabeth. It was a win-win!

* * *

Elizabeth was at her wit's end. Henry hadn't called in a couple of days, and each ring of the telephone sent shockwaves of worry and dread through her. And little Stevie... well... she had been crying for Elizabeth was sure well over 24 hours straight with no sign of stopping. She tried to keep her own tears at bay when the phone rang yet again.

"Henry?"

"Sorry, Elizabeth. It's Anne. I'd ask how you are, but I think I can guess on my own."

"Anne, I'm sorry. Just on edge I guess. Have you heard from Henry? He's missed a couple of phone calls."

"No, dear. I'm afraid I haven't. But it sounds like you could use a break. Why don't you bring Stephanie to Patrick, and we can go out for dinner tonight. How does that sound?"

"That sounds... fabulous. Thank you, Anne. I'll be by your place around 5?"

"Perfect. See you then!"

Elizabeth hung up the phone slowly and glanced at a still crying Stevie. She picked up the baby and tried to soothe her. "Your grandma is up to something. Yes she is!" She cooed to her baby girl, walking to the nursery to get them both ready for the big night.

She dropped Stevie off with Patrick, and she and Anne went to one of her favorite restaurants. The drive there was pleasant and so was the conversation, if a bit stilted.

* * *

They waited at their table for their waiter to take their orders, when Elizabeth felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?"

The sound of his voice made her jump as she turned. He was there! In front of her! She wrapped her arms around him, and the stress of the past few days broke in her, and she found tears streaming down her face as she sobbed into her husband's arms while he soothed her.

"I'm here, babe."

"But how?" Finally Elizabeth pulled away to glance around. The whole restaurant was on their feet, and her mother in law looked suspiciously calm in her seat.

"You knew?" She gasped as she finally let go of her husband and sank into her seat.

"Oh, absolutely! Now, come here boy, and give your mom a hug!"

Annie wrapped her own arms around her boy, and after his months of deployment, finally let herself breathe again.

They sank into the booth of the restaurant, Elizabeth reveling the soft touch of his hand on her knee, while Anne reveled in the sight of her son.


	26. Chapter 26

**Prompt: One of the McCord children tells Elizabeth they wish she were dead, not knowing that it's the worst thing they could have said to her.** **  
**  
Elizabeth sighed as Stevie stormed into the living room. Her feisty 10 year old was angry about... something. Elizabeth had missed the actual problem.

"I just wanna go! It's not like it's gonna be a big deal! Please?!" Stevie whined.

"Stevie, I told you. You need to be here tonight and that's the end of it."

"I hate you! Dad would let me! I wish you were dead!" With that, Stevie turned and bolted up the stairs, slamming the door to her room.

Elizabeth stood there, dumbfounded. Tears started to prick her eyes, but she knew it was stupid to cry over a childish throwaway comment from a 10 year old. But... she just couldn't help herself.

She found herself remembering when she'd... she'd done the exact same thing that Stevie did. She'd been trying to do something, she'd been frustrated and tired. And her mother, her good kind mother, had just been trying to help, when she'd yelled. Her mother had looked stricken, but later when Elizabeth had apologized, she'd wrapped her in a safe, warm embrace that assured her that there were no hard feelings. And then...

Elizabeth put her head in her hands and sank into the couch behind her. She sobbed for a while until she felt small hands on her shoulder.

"Mama?" Ali's sweet voice rang out and half pulled Elizabeth back to reality. She sniffed and sat up.

"Hey Noodle."

"Why are you sad?"

Half tempted to lie, Elizabeth sighed. "It's nothing, baby. Why don't you go play, okay?"

Alison nodded, but instead of going to her room with her bright toys, she found her father.

Henry was sitting in his study, reading, but when his youngest daughter walked in, he took off his glasses and smiled at her.

"Hey Noodle!"

"Mama's sad."

Henry nodded and sent his daughter to play and went to find his wife. She was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

"Babe?"

She jumped and looked at him with glassy eyes.

"Henry."

"Did something happen?" He asked settling beside her and pulling her close.

"It's" she sniffled, "so stupid!"

"Can't be. What's wrong?"

She sniffles again and told him the whole story. She half turned so she could see Henry's face when she repeated what Stevie said that broke her heart. Henry had been listening patiently, but when those words left his wife's mouth and he took in her nearly broken demeanor, his eyes hardened. His little girl had crossed a very grown up line.

"Henry..." Elizabeth said placing a hand on his chest. "Don't be mad at her. She doesn't know."

And that was true. They'd felt that their kids needed to be a certain age before they stopped dancing around the topic of Elizabeth's parents. But now? No, they needed to tell them. Henry wanted to make sure that her parents' deaths were never used against Elizabeth while their kids were in the throes of hormonal teenage angst.

"We need to tell them," he said and felt his wife nod against him.

"You're right."

Together they climbed off the couch and headed to their girls' room.


	27. Chapter 27

**Quite a few of you asked me to continue that last chapter to see how Stevie and Elizabeth's conversation went, so here it is! I hope it lives up to the previous part. Thank you all for your kind words and your feedback!**

Elizabeth held Henry's hand on the way up to Stevie's room. She knew it was silly, but she just needed the feel of his hand in hers to drive away the sound of her daughter yelling out of her head.

She took a deep breath while Henry knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Came Stevie's muffled reply.

"Stephanie McCord!" Henry called. Stevie opened the door. Her face was red and puffy and definitely tear stained. Seeing her like that broke Elizabeth's heart.

Stevie was confused and maybe even a little scared. The only time her father had ever called her Stephanie was when she'd been caught drawing on Alison with that marker when she was a baby. (She was just trying to cheer her up! Honest!)

"Dad, can I go to-"

"Your mother already said you couldn't. End of story."

Elizabeth cleared her throat. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation with her daughter.

"Look Stevie... we- we need to talk, okay?"

"O...kay."

They moved to sit on Stevie's bed, Henry keeping his hand on his wife's back. He saw Elizabeth open her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead she looked at him desperately, her eyes screaming that she had no idea how to start this conversation.

"Stevie" Henry began, "you know how Mom went to that sleep away school? The one we told you about last month?"

"Yeah."

Elizabeth looked gratefully at Henry and ran her hand over his knee. That was a perfect opening to lead her into it gently.

"Baby, did you ever wonder why I went there?"

Stevie nodded though she looked a bit unsure.

"When I was 15, my parents and Uncle Will were going to an ice cream shop. They got into a terrible accident, and my parents were killed."

Elizabeth had her eyes shut. If they'd been open she would have seen her daughter's blue eyes widen at the news and tears start to form. But all she could feel was Henry's hand on her back.

Stevie glanced at Henry who nodded his head. She said, "Mama?" and climbed into Elizabeth's lap.

"I'm sorry!" Whispered a childish voice before Elizabeth wrapped her in a hug. Elizabeth curled around her daughter and held her as tight as she could. Something in her chest, a weight that had been there since she'd heard that phrase come out of her little girl's mouth, lifted and disappeared. Now, all she had to was comfort in her grief. Thanks to her little brother, she was decent at this job.

Henry back away a bit, watching two of his favorite girls. They were going to be alright.

"Love you, Mama."

"Love you too, baby."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I really hope we get some good angst in Sunday's episode! Also, Jason might be a tad OOC, but I attributed it to stress!**

 **Prompt: After the bombing in Montreal, Jason is fine, but he can't find Elizabeth anywhere.**

Jason sat, bored, looking out the window. Even having Piper there with him couldn't make Montreal exciting.

He sat there, lost in thought, when the explosion happened. All of a sudden, Jason found himself thrown on the floor next to Piper.

"What was that? Are you okay?" the teens asked each other at the same time.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah… I think."

Sitting there with Piper on the floor, faces flashed in front of him. His father, on the same floor he was, in the library. Ali and Stevie not able to come and safe in DC. His mother… where was her meeting again? Before he could even try to remember where she'd said she'd be, DS agents swarmed the room.

"Jason McCord! Piper Boroumand! You need to come with us!"

"Where's my mom?"

"There's no time! You have to come with us. Now. Your father's right outside."

Jason was hurried from the room to his father's waiting arms. Henry looked… sad. All Jason could think about was the look on his father's face the weekend of Ali's 16th birthday. He'd found out later just how bad that weekend really was, of course, but that weekend, Henry had looked to Jason as being so sad. That was a look that Jason really didn't want to see on his father's face ever again.

"Dad! Where's mom?"

Henry wouldn't answer, didn't really have time to. The DS agents were pushing them all down a hallway until they finally reached the safe room at the end of the hall, the one that they'd all toured days ago when they'd gotten there. Jason and his mother had laughingly assured Piper that it was all precaution. But as they were being ushered in by Diplomatic Security (hours? minutes?) after an explosion without anyone being able to tell him where his mother was, Jason felt like curling in a ball and crying or figuring out how take back his laughter.

They entered the room, and Jason thought his heart would break. He'd secretly been hoping that his mother would be waiting with open arms ready to see them and make sure for herself that they were alright. Instead, there was no one. No one was waiting for them. Certainly not a woman with a kind smile, blue eyes, and honey colored hair. Henry clapped him on the back gently, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Dad? Where is mom?"

"I don't know son."

"Is … Is she… okay?"

"I don't know."

Henry took his son into his arms and let the boy calm himself. Piper looked like she was in

shock, and Jason didn't look much better.

"Look, son… Why don't we just wait? No news right now… I know it doesn't … feel like it… but it is a good thing, okay?"

Jason nodded, though he didn't believe his father in that moment. He stumbled to the small couch in the room and sat down heavily, putting his head in his hands. He felt the couch move beside him on both sides. His father and Piper had joined him.

Hours passed and with each glance at his watch, Jason felt his heart hammering even faster in his chest. Where was his mother? And with each glance at the door to see no one standing there, or at his father to see the shadow on his face grow, his heart broke.

Finally, after 6 hours of waiting and worrying, Elizabeth McCord finally entered the room with her family. She'd been sequestered until they were sure that all the bombers and any undetonated bombs had been dealt with before she could be moved to this safe room on the same floor as her family.

Jason looked up, and before he could say anything, his father was already up and had his arms around his mother. With that embrace, the shadow had lifted completely from Henry's eyes. They were sparkling and happy again. But Elizabeth's still held a shadow until she caught sight of her son. Their eyes locked, and that was all it took for Jason to join his parents. He caught his mother in a hug and held on tight. Finally after all the hours of worrying, the panic that had held him in its grasp had let him go. Now, holding on to his mother, all he could do was cry with relief.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: No prompt today, but a filler of sorts for the Montreal bombing (apparently, I'm on a Jason/Elizabeth kick). I thought Jason could use a little more guilt than he got in the episode.**

Jason McCord was excited. And nervous. And thrilled. The girl he loved finally wanted to take their relationship to the next level. As he took Piper into his arms, his world faded into pure bliss of excited reds and calm blues.

Later, he wouldn't remember the exact details, but he would remember the feeling of peace and pure love he'd seen reflected in Piper's eyes.

As he lay in the afterglow, he drifted off into a peace so deep that he didn't, couldn't hear anything. Not even the explosion that rocked the hotel.

* * *

Elizabeth was frantic. Her heart was beating out of her chest and all she wanted was her little boy in her arms.

DS agents kept trying to corral her into the building (she'd run toward the blast, toward where Jason and Piper said they'd be, desperate to shield them from harm), but she kept jerking her shoulders and pulling herself free from their grasp. She didn't see the other bomber until it was too late. The last word on her lips was her son's name, and then she knew no more.

* * *

Jason was shaken awake by Piper. He awoke lazily before he registered her panic. They'd been asleep for hours. No one had seemed to find them. No one had seemed to wonder where they'd run off to. That in itself was strange.

They'd pulled themselves out of bed and into proper clothes and found themselves running down the hallway.

He wasn't sure how long they'd run, but Jason found himself at the front of the building. Broken glass was everywhere. And smoke. And a lot of people. But there was one person in particular he wasn't seeing. The one person he had most wanted to see. She was nowhere to be found, until suddenly, he found himself staring at her face. Her blue eyes were still open, but unseeing. Her blonde hair was matted and bloody. Her face was scraped, scratched, and burned. He hit his knees beside her and wept.

* * *

A scream tore through the McCord house. Jason sat up, panting heavily. His leftover ice cream from his binge with Stevie lay melting on the floor. He was about to try to calm down enough to try to lie down again, but before he could, a figure appeared in the doorway.

"Jace?"

He looked up at her and saw her blonde hair and her vibrant blue eyes and the concerned look on her face and he just...

He held his arms out to her and she hugged him instantly.

"Stevie told me about Piper. Son, I am so sorry."

There was something in her voice... that true compassion she reserved only for her children that had him burying his head in her shoulder.

"Jace? Are you okay?"

He stayed there for a while, not answering, just reveling in the fact that she was still there to comfort him over a broken heart. He didn't even feel his eyes start to drift closed.

He'd tell her about his nightmare in the morning. Where she'd totally chase it away with one of her magic hugs.


	30. Chapter 30

**This was heavily inspired by a story a friend told me of an incident that happened when she was 7-8. Also, I misread the prompt at first, but liked what I had written so I just went with it! :)**

 **Prompt: somebody spiteful suggests to Henry that he isn't Stevie's father because nobody can see any of his features in her.**

Stephanie was upset. Mainly because her teacher refused to call her Stevie. Mrs. Norris was mean, Stevie'd decided, and that was just the end of it. She'd ended up in tears when Mrs. Norris gave her a 0 on an assignment because Stevie had written Stevie on her paper instead of Stephanie. It had been a terrible day.

She stood outside waiting for her super dad to pick her up when she felt someone tap her gently on the shoulder. She turned expecting to see her father's kind eyes and the special smile he saved only for her, but she was met by a stranger.

"Well, now, pretty girl. You could be my daughter." And then he was gone, tapping every blonde girl in the school on the shoulder.

Before she could understand what had happened, her father was jogging up to her.

"Hey Stevie. What's the matter baby?"

"That man scared me."

Henry picked his girl up, and slowly walked over to the man.

"Excuse me, sir."

The man turned. "Yeah... not mine." He laughed.

"No sir. This is my daughter. And you scared her."

"Yours? Doesn't look a thing like you. Should be my daughter with that blonde hair and blue eyes. Honestly... what kind of man are you anyway?"

With that the man was gone, Henry was absolutely seething, and Stevie looked like she was about to cry. She really was having a bad day.

"Come on, Stevie. Let's go home."

In the car, Stevie was unusually quiet. Instead she waited until they were standing in her driveway.

"Daddy?"

"What baby?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Because I don't look like you."

Looking into his daughter's blue eyes, so much like his wife's and seeing hurt there, made his blood boil. But he kept his tone calm for her sake.

"Baby, you look like one of the bravest, smartest, kindest, best women on the planet. Your mother. And I adore you and how much you look like her. Never think that I'm mad about that okay?"

He wrapped his little girl in a hug and searched for his wife's figure near the garage. Sure enough, there she was, leaning on the corner, her blue eyes glistening.


End file.
